Explorers make record books with first all-female trek to north and south poles

Eighty-one days, 750 miles and one frost bitten toe after they set off, two British women yesterday became the first all-female expedition to walk all the way to both poles.

"We are literally sat on top of the world and it's an amazing feeling," Ann Daniels announced via satellite phone from the north pole, shortly after finishing a celebratory feast - a miniature bottle of whisky, dried beef stew and melted ice - with her fellow explorer, Caroline Hamilton.

"It's hard to describe what a wonderful feeling it was arriving at the north pole. It's been worth everything we have endured along the way. It was excruciating and there were times when it was difficult to put one foot in front of the other, but with one goal in mind and pure determination we were able to succeed."

Daniels, 37, a former banker and single mother of triplets from Devon, and Hamilton, 35, a film financier from London, reached the north pole at 6am GMT yesterday, raising the Union flag just in time for the golden jubilee.

They are the first British all-female expedition to reach the north pole, and were members of an all-woman expedition of five which walked to the south pole two years ago.

Their journey from the base at Ward Hunt Island in northern Canada took three weeks longer than predicted because of appalling weather conditions at the start.

Temperatures plunged to -55C and they were hit by three severe blizzards.

The distance is 413 miles as the crow flies, but they were forced to walk 750 miles, to avoid several enormous ice ridges up to 50 ft high and huge chasms in the ice, as temperatures began to rise and the ice melted.

At one point, they both crashed through the icecap and into the freezing Arctic ocean, but managed to drag themselves out.

Daniels and Hamilton began preparing for their epic journey in October 2000. They trained with the Royal Marines to ensure that they were fit enough to drag the 250lb sledges which were packed with their food and equipment. They put on two stone for the trip and had to consume 6,000 calories a day to stay healthy.

"I'm exhausted, but also elated," Hamilton said yesterday from Eureka, a weather station in the northern Canadian Arctic, where the pair were resting.

"For the last 30 days, it has been a race against time, because the ice was melting. We've covered 300 miles in a month, but now we've done it and it's a wonderful feeling. The comradeship is amazing."

Today they will rejoin 50-year-old Pom Oliver, from West Sussex, at Resolute Bay, in northern Canada.

She was forced to quit the expedition six weeks ago because of severe frostbite but she will return to the UK with the others at the end of the week.

Daniels suffered a frostbitten middle toe early in the expedition, but managed to continue the trip despite the pain.

"Speaking to your children from the top of the world is a very special feeling, but I now want to be back at home and have a normal meal with them," she said, shortly after contacting her eight-year-olds Lucy, Rachel and Joseph by satellite phone.

A message on the adventurers' website, northpolewomen.com, added: "Caroline and Ann have proved that women are the equal of men in what was once considered to be a very male dominated environment."

The Prince of Wales, patron of the expedition, said yesterday: "I am very proud of my ladies."

The challenge was sponsored by M&G Investments and has raised £500,000 for the mental health charity the Square Smile.